Thread 15 - TalkLair: “I Can't Lie To You About Your Chances, But... You Have My Sympathies.”

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 14).

Autumn seems to have gone straight into winter. It's cold, wet and windy. In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

Kuc, are you sure you aren't pregnant?

And have you had your thyroid checked recently @Kucinghitam? Hair loss and lactose intolerance can be symptoms. The coffee issue is odd!

LOL @DeanElderberry I'm definitely not pregnant The coffee sensitivity started about 2 years ago!

It's possible the hair loss is due to stress, but having said that I have been through waaaay more stressful times in life and never had this problem. Interesting about the thyroid @VictorianBigot, I hadn't thought about that at all - just assumed the symptoms were part of the shitness of menopause. Think I'll make an appointment with the GP...

I can't quite imagine how you could have been exposed to enough of an extent to develop a sensitivity...

Especially given that I was only 2 when they did the tests. I doubt I'd met a single camel, or even a camel hair coat. Whereas I've had constant exposure to pollen but hayfever didn't kick in until I was 14. The only middle age one so far is a resurgence of CMP allergy, which is lifelong but has gone from 'can manage limited amounts of cooked or fermented milk' to 'don't even think about it'.

The variety of shitness menopause can throw at us is endless, but that does sound with a double check @Kucinghitam

I live closer to East Grinstead, than EG is to Glyndebourne. I would say that Glyndebourne is close to Lewes but nowhere else really.

EG has pretty old bits, but is generally a small southern town full of commuters. It is best known locally for being on leylines (apparently) - the Greenwich Meridian goes through it, and it's home to more than one strange religion.

Apparently, in 2016 The Guardian called East Grinstead "Britain's strangest town", citing the presence of The Church of Scientology, the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis, the ultra-Catholic order of Opus Dei, Christian Scientists, Ashworth Dowsers and the Pagan Federation.

I don't live far from EG but have only been once. I don't like that part of Sussex very much.

VictorianBigot · Today 09:47

the steroid nasal sprays give me nosebleeds, too. I discussed this with the consultant who said that to avoid irritation I needed to spray it in my nostrils with the nozzle pretty much parallel to the floor and pointing away from my septum, but it hasn’t really made a difference.

I used to have hayfever as a youngster and I recall the acrid taste in the back of my throat. As long as I did it before my nose started running, I was OK, but one morning sniff and that was it. I used to take Piriton and back then, you could get a bottle of 200. I was supposed to take one, 3 or 4 times a day. My dad told me to take 3 at a time, which may have explained why I was regularly sleepy at school.

I've started being incredibly itchy and I think it's probably a side effect from immunotherapy which is annoying. I'm currently taking a lot of antihistamines to help myself be slightly less itchy. It's mostly on my back which makes it difficult for me to put any soothing cream on. Moan over because it is what it is and could be a lot worse.

MouseMinge · Today 19:15

I've started being incredibly itchy and I think it's probably a side effect from immunotherapy which is annoying.

I'll have to ask my step mam about that, she started on it for rheumatoid arthritis in April, although she had to come off it for about 6 weeks.

Do. I guess it might also depend on which types she and I are on. I know there are lots of different types and I have the name of mine now although I can't remember it off the top of my head. I found out the other week that there are about 200 types of chemotherapy. I only realised there was more than one when I started it and was told that the chemo I was getting wouldn't make my hair fall out.

I think it's a different combination for different types and sites of cancer - e.g. I had paclitaxel and carboplatin every 3 weeks x 6, which is the standard one for ovarian cancer, and was as bald as a coot well before round 3. A friend who has had surgery to remove as much as possible of a very large brain tumour and is about to start combined radiotherapy and chemo to knock out what they think is the remaining 2% will have weekly chemo for 6 months but it won't always be infusions - some of it will be tablets.

I was tested for allergies a very long time ago. At the time I sneezed all year round with no seasonal variation. The pin prick tests showed no reaction to the more obvious things like dust mites. The biggest reactions were horses and bunny rabbits, neither of which featured in my day to day life, and grass pollen which was clearly not the big issue what with the all year round nature of my allergies. I also got no reaction to dogs or cats but had always been allergic to some (but not all) dogs. Inexplicably, I wasn’t tested for allergy to camels.

These days, I do get seasonal hay fever plus some dogs and some cats make me sneeze. Cetirizine is my antihistamine on choice.

I find the no wheat, no pears, no melons, stuff trying but have often thought how awful it would be if I developed an allergy to cats. I like having a little furry friend snoring beside my pillow all night.

I looked up Grimsdyke House last night and saw that it was Best Western now. I remember it as a beautiful place and imagine it would have been a lovely place to get married.

I stayed there in I think 2002 on a corporate jolly, back in the day when those were a thing. I have a vague memory that it was owned by Marriott but not operated as "a Marriott" but could well be wrong.

Best Western actually have some amazing boutique hotels as well as the weird and nasty ones. I stayed in a fabulous one in Plovdiv at the beginning of the year, which is an old Ottoman mansion pretty much next door to one of the best-preserved Roman theatres. https://hotelgallery37.com/en

That looks great, Squeaky! I read this thread, and I thank my lucky stars... life without wheat wouldn't be worth living for me.

That looks amazing @SqueakyDinosaur

It was really lovely, and I would recommend Plovdiv for a short break - it is a big industrial city but it has an amazing old town up on a hill. There is a mosaics museum which is basically the site of an old basilica which fell down in an earthquake and was then covered over WITH A MOTORWAY during the communist era. The mosaics are wonderful - think Kaffe Fasset embroidery patterns, but also some areas are rippled because of the earthquake.

Those rooms look really comfortable.

My bed is currently very comfy. I stripped it today to move my memory phone topper which has another topper on top of it - the princess and the pea - because it was swerving somewhat. Then I put on fresh bedding. As I was dealing with the sheet, Francis went to first corner I was trying to sort, disgruntled went to what was logically the second, the third. Very helpful.

It's the first time I've changed and done the whole fresh bedding thing by myself this year. I had to have a half an hour lie down because it nearly did for me but I bloody managed it! Get in!

Oh well done, Mouse! Top work!

MouseMinge · Today 00:02

It's the first time I've changed and done the whole fresh bedding thing by myself this year. I had to have a half an hour lie down because it nearly did for me but I bloody managed it! Get in!

Well good for you, just don't overdo things too soon; build your strength up slowly.

@SqueakyDinosaur Wow, that's an amazing hotel! I love staying in unique little places that have interesting story. (Having said that, there's a lot to be said for the predictability of a Premier Inn ).

@MouseMinge Well done on putting on fresh bedding - it's tiring work even in good health IMO. I am so glad you're feeling so much better.

Very well done Mouse. I remember once making my bed when recovering from flu. Not fun.

Life without wheat has its challenges, but since it is also life without a constant tickly cough all day and all night, it is a win. Particularly since I've found I can eat spelt, which is the same thing but mysteriously not an allergen for me.

The trap I walked into was forgetting I was allergic to melon and eating a delicious slice back in the summer. Big mistake - I won't do that again.

@SinnerBoy Are you not supposed to sniff? Maybe that's where I've been going wrong!

@artant The consultant I saw said there's most likely other things I'm allergic to but that they're limited in what they can test for.

@SqueakyDinosaur what a fabulous hotel!

@MouseMinge well done! Changing the bedding is exhausting, even with a cat's help. When I was on Zoladex I had to do it in three stages, with a rest and hot flush between each. Kasper isn't allowed in the room while I change the bottom sheet but he helps with the duvet.

@DeanElderberry what happens if you eat melon?

Anybody here remember BuddhaPest from the old place? He called me yesterday and we're getting together on Thursday. I'm looking forward to that - I haven't seen him for almost twenty years and he's a lovely bloke. I will pass on good wishes from anyone who wants to be remembered to him.